Archive for July 26th, 2010

A year has 365 days or, in a leap year, 366 days.  That means that there are 52 whole weeks, plus an extra one or two days. In a tax year that has 365 days, the first day and the last day fall on the same day of the week.  If, say, the first payday [...]

Two government initiatives are considered this week.  The first is the new Office of Tax Simplification which is tasked this year with reviewing tax reliefs and the taxation of individuals who operate as limited companies.  The IR35 legislation has been controversial from the start and is almost too complicated to explain, let alone operate. The [...]

On 20 July, the Government announced the establishment of the Office of Tax Simplification (OTS), as promised in the Conservative Party manifesto.  The responsibilities of the OTS are to identify areas where complexities in the tax system for both businesses and individual taxpayers can be reduced and to publish its findings for the Chancellor to [...]

On 22 June 2010, the Upper Tax Tribunal, in the case Mason v HM Revenue & Customs, rejected an appeal brought by Mr. Mason against the Special Commissioner’s unfavourable decision in October 2008 respecting his SERPS payments. Mr. Mason worked for 15 years on the North Sea oil rigs, between 1983 and 1998.  On retirement, [...]

UK employers of foreign national employees coming to work in the UK may be paid net cash earnings and non-cash benefits on the basis that the employer undertakes, using modified PAYE arrangements, to meet the UK tax liabilities involved and ensure that the employees’ tax affairs are handled by someone experienced in tax equalisation procedures. [...]

On 22 July, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) announced reforms to 30 of its public delivery bodies. Included in the reforms is the abolition of the Agricultural Wages Board for England and Wales. There are currently three Agricultural Wages Boards; for England and Wales, for Scotland and for Northern Ireland. They [...]